Be Ready for a Fight, a Spiritual One
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,
(The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians 6: 12 NASB)
but against the rulers,
against the powers,
against the world forces of this darkness,
against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
There is a vast difference between being called and being sent.
God calls all of us, every man, every woman, every child to become His child.
& then
God sends His children into His world to witness, to make disciples & to baptize them in the name of the Father, & of the Son, & of the Spirit.
Yes, two words that can be defined differently, but there is only one purpose—
GOD’S PURPOSE!
Daily, we encounter a vast array of diverse individuals who come from all kinds of places. Yesterday, I encountered students from the far reaches of Kentucky, from the far reaches of America, & from the far reaches of the globe.
My question went something like: Where do you call home?
- “I come from Hart County,” she said.
- “I am from Louisville.”
- “I am from Lexington.”
- “I come from E-Town.”
- “Ma’am, I’m from Detroit,” spoke one young man from the back of the room.
- “I am here from LA,” he seemed to say with pride.
- “I’m not from here but from Columbia (as in South America).”
- “I’m from Brazil,” said the new student yesterday, while attending my second class of the day.
“Teacher, I’m from Venezuela,” OR “I’m from South Africa,” OR “I come from right here in Campbellsville.”
It is a vast, diverse, multi-faceted group of individuals we encounter each day.
- There are many we meet who know Jesus as their Savior &
- There are so many we meet who have not encountered the Messiah.
There are only two types of mankind: the believers in Jesus & the unbelievers.
MAY WE NEVER FORGET—
As we encounter people & speak Jesus into the day, we will ALWAYS face the struggle that only comes from “the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (a.k.a Satan himself) & “not against flesh and blood.”
Meaning, the devil is constantly at war against God for the souls of people.
IT IS A SPIRITUAL BATTLE!
IT IS A WARFARE BEING FOUGHT!
And it is happening right here on earth!
The devil prowls about, seeking to devour, to destroy, to take as many souls to hell as he can.
Let us be bold in our witness, going into the world, wherever the Lord sends us to go, speaking the words His Holy Spirit gives us to speak. Let us be strong in the Lord’s might.
In wisdom that only comes from God, Solomon wrote in the Bible these words—
“The wicked flee when no one is pursuing,
(The Proverbs 28: 1 NASB)
But the righteous are bold as a lion.”
The enemy Satan and his demonic forces are the ones we fight, not against flesh and blood people. Individuals may disagree with us when we share Jesus, when we share the Gospel, but let us remember how life is much like a Chess board. The devil uses all the pieces to try to defeat the KING, even the smallest pawns. Yes, that’s correct. Innocent, unbelieving people are pawns in the hands of the vicious, hideous and evil demon we know as Satan.
TRULY, THERE IS ONLY ONE KING of kings!
&
ONLY ONE LORD of lords!
Therefore, Everything we do—
- The reason we were created—
- The reason we are being sent into the world—
Is only & always to bring glory & honor to GOD our FATHER!
- Today, cling to the eternal hope in Christ you have received.
- Today, be audaciously bold in your walk of faith, just as Jesus commanded.
Obey & Submit to earthly authority, for it is God alone who allows for this.
Always remembering—
IT IS THE LORD WE SERVE!
- Every thought we think—the Lord knows!
- Everything we do—the Lord sees!
- Every word we speak—the Lord hears!
MAY WE FAITHFULLY SPEAK THE LORD’S GOSPEL MESSAGE TO THOSE WHO HAVE NOT HEARD!
& then MAY WE BE READY for a FIGHT, a SPIRITUAL ONE with the DEVIL.
While incarcerated and chained to the bodies of two guards, the apostle Paul wrote these words. May we take courage from God’s Holy Word.
“And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION,
(The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians 6: 17-20 NASB)
and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.
With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit,
and with this in view,
be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,
and pray on my behalf,
that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth,
to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,
for which I am an ambassador in chains;
that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly,
as I ought to speak.”